Monday, July 16, 2012

Time Moves quickly

I know every young person has heard phrases like "how time flies" but part of being young is that you can't believe that is true.  Our perspective on the passage of time changes a great deal over the course of a lifetime.  I suspect time will seem even more fleeting as I get EVEN older.

Today, I was flipping through an old book.  The book, A Light In the Attic by Shel Silverstein was a book that I must have read a hundred times to my kids when they were little.  All of Silverstein's books were favorites of ours.  Along with Dr. Seuss....really any sing songy rhyming books were hits at our house.

Perhaps, some of you have read Shel Silverstein's poems to your kids. 





OR from Where the Sidewalk Ends







Occasionally, I would write sing-songy poems for my kids.  These poems were fun to write and fun to read but clearly, I am not a poet so they hit the trash fairly quickly. As far as I knew all my little poems were long gone.

But today...as I was flipping through The Light In the Attic I found an old poem that I had written and shoved it into a book unread to anyone.   It was aimed toward my son. I am sure, had I read it, he would of thought me crazy.  This would have been over 20 years ago. It was probably his job, at that point, to think of me as crazy. I wrote it on a day that I was frustrated over his messy room but wasn't wanting to fight about it with him.


The room was a dark and dangerous place.
From the floor to the ceiling, it's just a disgrace,
As I adapt to the light and my eyes become clear,
it's apparent this dump hasn't been cleaned for a year.

There's half eaten pizzas, the order-in kind. A petrified burger and fries left behind.
There's bicycle parts shoved under the bed.
The smell is suggestive that something is dead.

There's trash on the floor, wet towels in a heap,
Dirty laundry galore is piled knee deep.
Skateboards and skates from my little boy's play,
The TV,  and CDs, go with my teen of today.

My anger quickly subsides as a thought comes to mind
The day will come when this room's left behind.
In the future this mess will be a part of my past,
My gosh, the time he is with us is moving too fast.

Then this room that annoys me, will always stay clean,
No clutter, no litter,  a housekeeper's dream,
This mother  will despair as she remembers the day
When his hugs and his kisses were but an arm's length away.

So today there's no cleaning, my work here is done,
I am ignoring his room to spend time with my son.
No time today to spend dealing with messes
Time with my kids, seems suddenly precious.




I don't remember the specific day that I jotted this poem down and shoved it into the book. I must have been having a moment of sentimental attachment to my kid. Perhaps, we did go do something fun and forgot about the messy room.  OR.... maybe all that sentimentality quickly wore off and I started screaming at the little slob, and threatening bodily harm if he didn't do some serious housekeeping.

On some days, it really did make  me sad to think about the day my kids would grow up and leave. Then there were other days, that I would have helped them pack.

Note: My son grew up to be quite an organized and neat person.  We both survived his childhood...uninjured. See.... miracles do happen.





17 comments:

Chubby Chatterbox said...

I think you poem is just wonderful. There must be an outlet for it in parenting magazines; it's that good.

Cheryl P. said...

Why thank you Chatterbox. I would guess when my son gets around to reading this post and sees me putting to rhyme what an awful mess his room was...he is going to think my poem sucks. Same reason, I never read it to him.

Annie (Lady M) x said...

That poem is wicked! I absolutely love it .... it's got a nice rhyme and rhythm whilst still dealing with the subject - your scruffy son!!! It is a shame you threw the others away.

Michele Eigler said...

I admire how you can wax poetic. It's really cute.

Adventures of Muse said...

I love your poem! So sweet! My boys are only 6 and 8, but every once in a while I get a pang of what happens when they go off to college?!?

Cheryl P. said...

Thank you, Anne. Every once in a while I will think of a line or two of one of those old poems and be sorry I pitched them. Most of them were quite silly.

Cheryl P. said...

Thanks, Michele. Your kids are all grown up as well. Didn't it go fast.

Cheryl P. said...

I think I started worrying about them leaving about the time they were born. I think there must be a master plan though. About the time they were 18 or so, I wanted them to have the experience of going off to school, seeing the world and having adventures.
When my kiddo #1 left, I was sadder because she was young. She started college one week after her 17th birthday. But when kiddo #2 left (the subject of the poem) he wanted big adventures and went to school in Europe. I missed him and the distance bothered me but he was really enjoying it.

babs (beetle) said...

I seem to recall, I kept my bedroom very neat and tidy as a teenager, but I think there must have been something wrong with me :)

I love your poem!

Wendy said...

I too reminded myself as my boys went through that stage that they would all be gone, all to soon, and just let their rooms be. Your poem said it well and made me smile and sniff all at the same time .Well done.

Cheryl P. said...

I think some people are just naturally tidy. I have always liked structure around me for the most part. I am pretty sure there is nothing wrong with being neat.

Cheryl P. said...

Thank you, Wendy. Having them grow up is definitely a smile and sniff proposition.

Don E. Chute said...

Cheryl...your right time is fleeting...Now that I'm a POPS[grandpa...hate that...to young...] my kids are 23 and 21 respectively your post made me conjure up memories of all the antics I used on my kids to make them more happy...less fussy...or just to have a good time...


Here is one I used..."Here comes Mr Pincher Bug short and stout...here come Mr. Pincher Bug, there was never a doubt...he will get you over here, he will get you over there[as I was 'pinching' them in the Car Seats... wherever] I can still recite it today and get smiles, and giggles from my now Adult Children.


Thanks for the memories.
PLU from SSF

Cheryl P. said...

That is so cute, Don E. Hubby and I are also grandparents now. We have a 1 year old and a 4 year old. I am more fun and less fussy with the G-boys than I was with my kids. I wish that wasn't the case but it is.

meleahrebeccah said...

OMG!! Chery!! I loved YOUR poem to your son!!!!

Cheryl P. said...

I am sure you can relate as you are a mom to a son. Aren't they the best...unless it's a bad day...then they are just a PITA.

meleahrebeccah said...

100%!